The 2024 NHL Mock Draft
Nothing stays still in the hockey world. Just days after the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in a thrilling seven-game series against the Oilers, the league and all its fans are already preparing for Friday night’s 2024 NHL Draft. Every year, this night represents hope for the future of all 32 teams in the league. Sure, some teams will strike out swinging, but others may just find that diamond in the rough that helps move the franchise onto bigger and better things.
This year’s draft is an unusually unpredictable one, where many experts can’t agree on much outside of Macklin Celebrini going first overall. We certainly don’t know how tonight will play out, but what’s draft season without a mock draft? Check ours out below.
1 – Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
Basically the only lock of the draft, Macklin Celebrini cemented his spot as this year’s top prospect with an incredible freshman campaign at Boston University, putting up 64 points in 38 games and becoming the youngest player to ever win the Hobey Baker award. With this pick, San Jose’s rebuild instantly speeds up as Celebrini and 2023 4th overall pick Will Smith will attempt to guide the franchise back to relevancy in the West.
2 – Ivan Demidov, Chicago Blackhawks
The draft immediately gets interesting with Chicago’s second overall pick. Outside of Connor Bedard, Chicago’s roster needs help everywhere. They could certainly go with one of the many talented defencemen slotted to go somewhere in the top ten, but instead, we’ve got them taking Demidov. The Russian forwards is an extremely talented winger that could easily be playing alongside Connor Bedard in the near future. Although he does have one more year on his contract with St. Petersburg, the Blackhawks should be in no rush if it means getting the most talented player on the board.
3 – Artyom Levshunov, Anaheim Ducks
With the third overall pick in the NHL Draft, we’ve got the Ducks making a safe pick in Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State. The 18-year-old defenceman has the potential to be great for Anaheim for years to come and is dependable everywhere on the ice. With an influx of young talent already in the Ducks’ system, picking up a blueliner of Levshunov’s calibre is the perfect pick here. In his first year in the NCAA, he put up 9 goals and 26 assists in 38 games for the Spartans.
4 – Cayden Lindstrom, Columbus Blue Jackets
Projected as the first player to go out of the WHL, this big forward comes with a lot of potential but also a little risk. He did miss half of the past season due to lingering back injuries, and that’s a legit concern for general managers looking to pick him early in the draft. However, in his 32 games before injury, Lindstrom did score 27 goals. That kind of production cannot be overlooked. For a team like Columbus, I think the reward is worth a little risk.
5 – Tij Iginla, Montreal Canadiens
With David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson already coming up as future stars on Montreal’s blueline, it makes sense for the Canadiens to go with a forward here. Lindstrom or Demidov will probably be the pick if they’re still on the board, but for our mock, Montreal ends up with Tij Iginla. The son of the legendary Jarome Iginla, Tij had 84 points in 64 games with the Kelowna Rockets this season. His stock has been on the rise all year, and we think it culminates with a fifth overall selection by Montreal.
6 – Anton Silayev, Utah Hockey Club
Last year, this organization selected two large Russians in defenceman Dmitry Simashev and forward Daniil But. This season, we think they’ll do the same in taking Silayev. The blueliner is only 18, but already stands very tall at 6’7. For a team that’s certainly lacking on the back end (five rostered and zero signed for next year), Silayev represents hope that in a few years’ time, Utah will be supported by a very exciting pair of Russian defencemen.
7 – Zeev Buium, Ottawa Senators
The second of four consecutive defencemen taken here in our mock draft, Zeev Buium slots in at seventh overall to the Senators. The Denver University product was just the third blueliner to score fifty points in a freshman season in the past twenty years, but he’s not just an offensive threat. He may not have the biggest frame yet, but Buium certainly isn’t small either and has proven to be a great defender as well as producer. Ottawa is young and fun, and Buium is a great fit.
8 – Zayne Parekh, Seattle Kraken
Seattle’s prospect pool is a little weak on the blueline, but drafting Parekh will instantly improve it. Offensively, he could be the most exciting defenseman in this draft. With 96 points in 66 games in the OHL this season, Parekh was voted the top d-man in the CHL and has been compared to the likes of Erik Karlsson. Although the actual defensive ability is cause for some concern at this point, Parekh’s nose for the net and offensive instincts are things you can’t really teach. He’s got a few years to round out his game, but with the upside and potential he brings, Seattle can’t pass up on making this pick.
9 – Sam Dickinson, Calgary Flames
Calgary could go with any position here, so we’ve got them simply taking the best player on the board in Dickinson. London’s top blueliner had 70 points in 68 games last season, but at 6’3, it’s not just his offensive output that excites scouts. Viewed as a safe pick, Dickinson projects as a player that could eventually play big minutes for Calgary and contribute on both sides of the special teams game. For a team just entering a rebuild now, a solid, safe player like him is the right pick.
10 – Cole Eiserman, New Jersey Devils
Eiserman’s stock has taken a tumble over the last 365 days or so, but he’s still one of the best goal-scorers in this draft. With a roster already full of talent, New Jersey can take their time with the American sniper, and when he’s ready for the big leagues, he’ll have the opportunity to play with some very skilled linemates. In a best-case scenario, he’ll come to the league with a more complete game and the confidence to score against the best players in the world. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him catching passes from Jack Hughes at some point in the future.
